Hundreds of students rallied at the University of Florida yesterday over the shooting of Kofi Adu-Brempong an African graduate student by campus police.  Kofi Adu-Brempong, has been hospitalized in critical condition after he was shot in the face by an officer in a raid on his home earlier this month. Police say they were called to the home after neighbors reported the student to be visibly distraught. According to police, Adu-Brempong tried to attack officers with a knife and a metal rod. But supporters and family members have rejected the allegations and say the rod was actually a walking cane used by Abu-Brempong as a result of a childhood bout with polio. On Tuesday, a crowd of over 300 students marched on the University of Florida’s Board of Trustees.

UF Student Fernando Figueroa: “We’re demanding that all charges be dropped against Kofi, because they’re trying to do, you know, kind of something what’s called extortion. Like they’re saying, ‘Oh, we’ll drop the charges if you don’t file a lawsuit.’ And so, we’re demanding that all the charges be dropped and that more severe action be taken against the offending officer, Keith Smith.”

The officer who shot Kofi Adu-Brempong has been identified as Keith Smith. He has previously been reprimanded for an incident in which he allegedly harassed and threw eggs at African Americans while off-duty.

What do you guys think of all this?  Do we have another racist cop trying to kill African Americans or do we have a mistake gone horribly wrong?

The United Nations says the latest bloody attack in Mogadishu underlines how urgent it is for the international community to provide humanitarian aid to Somalia.

The United Nations recently appealed for 690 million dollars for humanitarian operations in Somalia throughout 2010.  The U.N. says there was a decline in contributions in 2009, so agencies will have little or no money to carry-over for projects in the New Year.

The U.N. says it is absolutely crucial for nations to provide early funding so people can get the help they so desperately need.

U.N. humanitarian spokeswoman, Elizabeth Byrs, says the United Nations is committed to providing relief to the millions of people in the country, despite the increasing dangers. “Even though the humanitarian space has been reduced, we continue our aid and relief operation.  That is why it is so important to get a commitment from the international community and get the adequate funding to the appeal for 2010,” she said.

The United Nations reports more than three and one half million Somalis or nearly half of the population are in need of emergency assistance or livelihood support.  It says one in five children under the age of five are acutely malnourished.

It says the humanitarian crisis has been worsened by the impact of the global recession.  It notes remittances into Somalia have declined by 25 percent due to increased unemployment among Somalis living abroad.

The World Health Organization says this week’s deadly attack in Mogadishu during a ceremony for medical students graduating from Banadir University is another blow to Somalia’s health system.  Among the victims were Somalia’s Minister of Health and several medical students.

WHO Spokeswoman, Fadela Chaib, says the attack will hamper efforts by the international community to improve the health status of millions of Somalis. “It is a rare occurrence to have a new graduate from medical school in a country like Somalia.  And, it is really very sad that an attack happened while a ceremony was taking place to celebrate the promotion of these health students,” she said.

In 2007, according to the U.N. there were only 253 doctors in the country.  This is considered one of the lowest number of physicians per capita in the world.

Doubts had been raised about whether the finding was significant.

But new data published at a conference in Paris indicates that, while small scale, the findings are robust and statistically significant.

However, the scientists say they do not understand what is causing the effect, and it seems to offer less protection to those most at risk.

Despite these drawbacks, Colonel Nelson Michael from the US military HIV research program it is still a small step in the right direction.

He said: “It’s important that people understand that this is a scientific advance, a scientific breakthrough.

“It is not a public health breakthrough; there is not a vaccine that is around the corner.

“We now, after 26 years of trying, believe that we can go down that road with confidence that we will be able to develop a vaccine that is globally effective.”

Doubts raised

Despite their initial joy when the first results from the Thai trial were announced, many scientists were concerned that the protective effect was very small.

Among the 8,000 of so who got the vaccine, 51 became infected with the virus.

Among those who received a placebo, 74 got the infection.

However, the trials sponsors, the US military and the Thai government said the 31.2% protective effect was statistically significant and real.

As more data slowly emerged some scientists began to have doubts about how robust this effect really was.

When those who had not taken all their vaccines were excluded from the trial the numbers lost their statistical power.

Many experts were concerned that the data had not been subject to a rigorous examination by other scientists.

Read more

Many questions

Now that review has taken place. And it indicates that the original findings still stand – but there are more questions than answers.

These results are an incredible opportunity for scientists to discover new clues about HIV and learn how a HIV vaccine could work in practice Deborah Jack National Aids Trust

The scientists based their conclusions on an analysis of the entire population in the study, excluding just seven people who were found to be infected on the first day of the trial.

The researchers say this is the most robust way of looking at the study.

They also published details of two other analyses of the trial, which excluded people who had not taken all their medication.

Both of these showed effects that were not statistically significant.

Among the scientists at this meeting there was a real sense of excitement about the findings.

Dr Nicola Frahm, associate laboratory director for the HIV Vaccines trials network in Seatlle, Washington, said: “Oh my God, it’s amazing.

“There is hope, there is a vaccine that prevented acquisition, the signal is very weak but this is the first time to show any effect on acquisition at all, so for the HIV community it’s an amazing day.

“The real question is to how biologically significant is this?

“The significance that has been established in this trial is that there is a 5% chance that this is a fluke.

“So we are 95% certain that what we are seeing is real and not down to pure chance. And that’s great.”

No use in Africa

The researchers point out that this vaccine would not work in Africa where the rates of HIV infection are the highest.

They say that a commercial product is still many years away and caution that prevention and education are the best protection against the infection in the medium term.

Colonel Jerome Kim is HIV vaccines product manager for the US Army.

He said: “We had something that protected a third of the people exposed to the virus in Thailand.

“It is not a globally effective vaccine; it can not be used outside of Thailand.

“Until we answer those other scientific questions the idea of using this vaccine in other parts of the world or testing it, is science rather than public health.”

Deborah Jack, chief executive of NAT (National Aids Trust), said: “The Thai trial is a milestone in the search for a vaccine against HIV.

“These results are an incredible opportunity for scientists to discover new clues about HIV and learn how a HIV vaccine could work in practice.”

China vs America

As in much of Africa, China is heavily engaged in post-war Liberia, rebuilding roads with funding from the World Bank, managing hotels and restaurants, trading in medicines and other businesses.

CHINA IN AFRICA China is Africa’s second-biggest trading partner, behind US Between 2002 and 2003 two-way trade doubles to $18.5bn By 2008 trade tops $100bn – China exports $51bn, imports $56bn Almost all imports come from oil-rich nations: Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, the Republic of Congo, and Sudan Sources: China Daily, Reuters, Council on Foreign Relations

Chinese mineral firm China Union became the largest investor in Liberia when it signed a $2.6bn deal to go into iron-ore mining earlier this year.

There is even a Chinese-language radio station broadcasting across the country for the increasing number of migrant workers and expatriates.

The growing trade ties explain why the Chinese embassy and the Ministry of Youth and Sports have decided to put on free two-hour classes in the afternoon, five days a week.

Although attendances for the first few classes were sparse because of torrential rain in Monrovia, the students who did turn up were serious about the task.

John Cooper, 57, from Monrovia, says the lessons reflect Liberia’s changing political allegiances.

“Traditionally Liberians are closer to the Americans than we are to the Chinese, but the irony is that the Chinese are more open to us than the Americans are,” he says.

“If the Chinese stay here with us for about 25 years, it will be good for us.”

A middle-aged woman attending the lessons agrees that the classes are important for the country.

“In Liberia we speak only English and instead of learning French, we play with French – it is just too bad for a nation,” she says.

For others, like 40-year-old Tubman Nyennety, the motivation for doing the class is driven by personal ambition.

“We need to learn Chinese because you never tell when you will have the opportunity to travel to China,” he says.

Another student, Musu Woodfor, recalls the difficulties she faced when she fled the civil war to Liberia’s French-speaking neighbours.

“We learn French, so why not Chinese? The language barrier was a problem when we travelled as a result of the war.”

Read more….

Accords unread

Although Chinese officials will be heartened by the positive views expressed by the students, they are also hopeful that members of Liberia’s government will take up the classes.

Liberia prepared a rapturous welcome for Chinese President Hu Jintao in 2007

Chinese ambassador Zhou Yuxiao, who helped to set up the classes, says the lack of Chinese language skills among government officials can be a problem.

“Even in the Foreign Ministry in Liberia, nobody can speak Chinese ,” he says.

“When [officials] visit China, they have to have an interpreter from the Chinese side only; there is discrepancy.”

He says he is unhappy that Liberian officials cannot understand Chinese versions of the numerous bilateral agreements they sign.

“No Liberians can read the documents they sign, they don’t understand the Chinese copy, they just sign it as it is,” he says.

“It’s not fair, [you should] check the document that you are signing.”

Liberia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports agree that the language barrier is a problem.

“Chinese are here in construction work, etcetera,” says ministry spokesman Macaulay Paykue.

“If we have to deal with these people and they have to deal with us, it is only prudent that we understand each other.”

Part 3:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz8weMcBWhU

Part 4:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljVvWCViJak

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xPlVR4dInI

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Many African students in Moscow are afraid to go outside

BBC reported that nearly 60% of black and African people living in Russia’s capital Moscow have been physically assaulted in racially motivated attacks, says a new study.

Africans working or studying in the city live in constant fear of attack, according to the report by the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy.

A quarter of 200 people surveyed said they had been assaulted more than once. Some 80% had been verbally abused.

But the number of assaults was down from the MPC’s last survey in 2002.

The report’s clear conclusion was that Africans living in Russia exist in a state of virtual siege, says the BBC’s Rupert Wingfield Hayes in Moscow.

Extreme violence

Many of the African respondents said they:

• Avoided using the Moscow metro
• Were also careful to avoid crowded public places
• Did not go out on Russian national holidays or on days when there were football matches

Many of the attacks on Africans were pre-meditated and extremely violent, the report found.

One Nigerian migrant interviewed by the BBC had been repeatedly stabbed in the back and then shot.

Another man said his attacker had attempted to remove his scalp.

Officially there are some 10,000 Africans living in Moscow, but far more are believed to live there illegally – many as economic migrants.

The Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy is an English-speaking interdenominational Christian congregation that has ministered to Moscow’s foreign community since 1962.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk0Ai0fTjRY

I found the below online…but I’m not sure if this applies to Caster or not…

There are 3 labels of Hermaphrodites: True, Male pseudo and Female Pseudo. All are equally genuine.

TRUE

A person born with both ovary and testicular tissue, this could be 2 separate gonads ( one of each) or a combination of both in one (an ovotestes). The genitalia can vary from completely male or female, to a combination of both or even ambiguous looking. The chromosome (karotype) compliment can be XX (female), XY (male), XX/XY (mosiac) or even XO (extremely rare). Those XX with female genitalia are raised female ( some have even given birth). Those XY with male genitalia are raised male ( a few have fathered children). The children born XX/XY or XO (with genitalia male or female are raised in the sex they look most like) ,Those born with ambiguous genitalia have many medical tests for the doctors to determine which sex they should be assigned. Doctors then recommend early surgery to make the child look physically like the sex assigned to them.

CAUSES
The causes are not known, The medical community does know this is a very rare condition but do not have accurate figures to how many people have this condition (depending on the literature between 350-450 known cases).

FEMALE PSEUDO

A person born XX with normal female internal organs but with “masculanized” genitalia. They can appear more male then female or a combination of each.

CAUSES
The most common is Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) it occurs approximately 1:14,000 births.This is when the adrenal glands overproduce testosterone. It also has been recorded that some persons with this disorder had been exposed to progesterone-like drugs before they were born.

MALE PSEUDO

A person born XY with testes (usually in the abdominal cavity). The external genitalia are usually female but can be ambiguous.

CAUSES
The most common cause is Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS). This is when the body doesn’t respond to the androgen being produced. There are different variations: Complete (CAIS) , and Partial (PAIS). This condition has a variety of names and occurrence rates..